JML Magic Eraser : Read reviews and compare prices at Ciao.co.uk

Author's product rating:

Advantages:	Cleans without detergents
Disadvantages:	Not sure what it's made from . Quite expensive and not very long lasting

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

I didn't really need to buy a JML Magic Eraser; I've got a kitchen cupboard full of cleaning products of every description (which makes me sound as if I'm a cleaning-obsessive when actually I hate housework!). Curiosity got the better of me though, and I was interested to see how a product that claims to "instantly removes stains without detergent" actually works.

So what exactly is a Magic Eraser? Good question - as I couldn't find anything on the packaging that actually stated what it was made of. What it looks like is a big chunk of pristine white foam measuring 12 inches by 6 inches and about 3 inches thick (sorry! but I don't "do" metric!). Surely, though it can't be just an ordinary bit of foam, it must contain something that enables it to clean - I only wish I knew what that "something" was.

You can use Magic Eraser to clean all hard surfaces (except those that are dark, polished, glossy or varnished). It claims to eliminate marks and stains instantly making it ideal for
cleaning kitchens and bathrooms.

To use Magic Eraser you cut yourself off a slice of foam - dampen it slightly and set to rubbing out dirt, grease and stains. The picture on the packet shows the block being attacked with a scary looking carving knife - in actual fact it's so easy to cut that you could use your bluntest knife with ease. It makes a great crunchy cutting sound as the knife slices through the foam.

So... does it work?

I must say I was really pleased (and surprised) with how effectively this product works. I set it a real challenge by doing a bit of intensive cleaning in my kitchen.

First of all I gave the stainless steel sink a going over with the Eraser - I honestly thought it was clean but this made it really gleam and got out tea and coffee stains that I didn't even know were there. The foam is really easy to manipulate around taps and into awkward corners. By the time I'd finished on the sink the bright white piece of foam was starting to look distinctly coffee-coloured.

After that I cleaned the wall tiles - even the ones behind the cooker which tend to get a bit greasy came up sparkling clean. By now though, my little piece of foam had started to disintegrate and was breaking up into little bits so I chucked it in the bin and cut off another slice.

Next, I cleaned the glass door on the oven/grill which always seems impossible to get 100% clean - there always seem to be bits of burnt on grease that won't shift even with oven cleaner. Amazingly, the Magic Eraser just rubbed them all off. After that, I plucked up the courage to clean my cooker hob. I've got a ceramic hob and the instruction manual that came with it was so strict on the do's and don'ts of cleaning it that I've never dared use anything on it apart from special ceramic hob cleaner. Ha! the Magic Eraser did a brilliant job cleaning it, it even got off the water and salt marks that the specialist cleaner never managed to.

After that there was no stopping me! I cleaned the PVC surround of the kitchen windows, inside the fridge, the light switches and finally I got rid of some black rubber wheel marks off the vinyl floor - each and everything I used the Magic Eraser on came up clean with very little effort on my part. (The wheel marks, in case you were wondering were caused by my husband using a sort of motorised wheelbarrow thing indoors. He bought it for some building work he was doing but it was too wet for him to play outside on the day he first got it - so he spent an afternoon going up and down the kitchen with it - and would only stop after I agreed to sit in it and be taken for a ride through the house!)

Now, you would think, after reading all the above that I was pretty impressed with the Magic Eraser and to a certain extent I am but I do have a few reservations about the product that make me less pleased with it than perhaps I should be. Firstly, I quickly
found out that a slice of cut foam doesn't last long - it soon starts to break up and needs replacing. By the time I'd cleaned my kitchen I found I'd used up over half the original block - and at a cost of £3.99 a box it's certainly not a cheap option.

Secondly, I'm just not happy not knowing what the product is made of. Initially, I was under the impression that it was a "natural" product; ie. it contained no chemicals - but it surely must have something in it otherwise it wouldn't work. It is "natural" in as much as all you do is add water to the foam - but for those of us who like some evidence that we've actually done some cleaning there is no lingering smell of lemon or pine - so, for me, it rather looses out on the "smug housewife" factor. I'm aware that for many people, especially those with asthma and allergies the lack of artificial smell is a good thing - on the other hand if the product is full of unknown chemicals anyway it is probably no better for you than using conventional cleaning products.

Finally, I must admit, that after my initial cleaning blitz, the Magic Eraser has sat in my kitchen cupboard alongside all the other cleaning products that have taken up refuge there. I have used it again to clean the hob - but for normal day to day cleaning I still tend to use Cif spray or a similar all-purpose cleaner. Maybe, I'm trying to hold onto the last little bit of foam left in the box and saving it for "something big" - because as good as it is I know it's not something I am going to buy on a regular basis.

Magic Eraser is made by JML - their products are often on sale in Woolworths but not in supermarkets - I got mine from Boots for £3.99.